Abu Saiyed

Abu Saiyed (died 2001) was an Abu Sayyaf militant.

Biography
Abu Saiyed was born to a Sunni Muslim family of Tausugs in Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines. He joined the Abu Sayyaf Islamist group in hopes of creating an independent Islamic state in Mindanao, and he became one of the group's leaders, being the man in charge of the Dos Palmas kidnappings. In May 2001, when the 20 hostages from the kidnappings were delivered to Abu Saiyed's camp, Abu Saiyed was generous to French missionary Therese Bourgoine and her elderly companion Soledad Carpio, giving Therese a towel to use as a blanket or pillow and letting the two women go to the river and wash without having them tied up. He led the group to Lamitan, taking hostages there and killing a few Filipino soldiers in several failed ambushes against the Abu Sayyaf group. He led the hostages further into the jungle, and he took a liking to the nurse hostage Joan, marrying her in an Islamic wedding. However, he was forced to release her when she became pregnant, as the terrorists could not give her enough food for her to deliver a healthy baby. Soon after, Abu Saiyed was shot in the head while praying alone in the jungle, and the ambush by the Filipino Army also claimed the life of another militant.